


A Christmas Tale

by ugliegay



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cats, Christmas Fluff, Gift Exchange, M/M, Sickfic, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 19:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13130343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ugliegay/pseuds/ugliegay
Summary: Love is in the air, this Christmas Eve.(Or the one where Tsukki sneaks a live animal onto a train and Oikawa Cries.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is for littlecrowofsunshine on tumblr for my haikyuuwriters Secret Santa! she requested gift exchange and a sick fic as well as multiple pairings so I hope she likes this. 
> 
> this is unbeta’d so i apologize in advance for any mistakes. 
> 
> have a lovely holiday!

All things considered, sneaking a kitten onto a bullet train had been easier than expected. Extremely easy. _Hinata Shouyou could have done it with his eyes closed_ easy.

Kei sniffles. Perhaps not. After all, Hinata had tripped over his own shoe laces this morning on the way into practice.

With a resolute sigh, Kei readjusts his pockets so that the calico could stick her head out and breathe. The person next to him raises an eyebrow to which Kei fixes them with his hardest stare. Concerned commuter widens their eyes and goes back to their crossword puzzle. Kei sniffles again, raising his nose up and returning to his game of Candy Crush.

And Kei knows this whole situation is ridiculous, there’s really no other way of describing it, but Kuroo is sick. When Kuroo is sick, the whole world might as well have caught on fire. It’s a state of national emergency. Call the police, call the prime minister, because Kuroo is sick.

Kei likes to think he’s strong. He works out four times a week, runs with Yamaguchi on weekends, does weight training every Tuesday. He’s gone up against the strongest of aces and held his ground, but one call, just one call from Kuroo, had him come running immediately. With a cat. He’s no match for Kuroo’s sick voice, pathetic and weak over the line as he repeats “please Kei” a dozen times.

And that’s how he ends up on a bullet train to Tokyo, a live, breathing kitten tucked into his jacket pocket. In retrospect, he could’ve gotten a cat carrier and the whole ordeal might be a bit easier but Kei’s too stubborn to take the easy way out.

A low mew sounds from underneath his hoodie and Concerned Commuter has a look on their face that tells Kei he’ll be in trouble if he doesn’t get off soon. Which is fine, considering his is the next stop. Still, he glares again, this time adding in a slight curl to his lip.

His phone begins to buzz incessantly, Asshole flashing across the screen and Kei emits a sigh. With reluctance, he answers and is immediately greeted by a long, low groan of “Baaaaaaaaabe.”

“What.”

“I’m sick.”

Kei gets the sudden urge to put his head through the wall. “I’m aware,” he says.

Kuroo coughs half a dozen times and it pulls on Kei’s heart strings, but he’s never admit that out loud. “So, make me feel better,” Kuroo cries.

“I already missed my last chance to beat Kunimi-kun just to come visit you,” he quips, the blush on his cheeks betraying the irritation in his voice. “I’ll be there soon.”

The calico in his pocket murrows and suddenly Kei gets the inkling that this all might have been a terrible idea. A very terrible idea. He could be blocking Turnip-kun’s spikes and kicking ass, but here he is, tending to a needy man-child.

Finally, the train slows to a halt and Kei shuffles to the entrance, remaining as inconspicuous as he possibly can with a mewling hoodie. He gives Concerned Commuter his best shit eating grin and exits the train.

And as his luck would have it, Bokuto Koutarou is waiting for him at the platform. Kei’s not in any way religious but who shoots a quick prayer to whoever is up there, a prayer for his last dwindling bits of sanity.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Bokuto exclaims. “Tsukki!”

For some odd reason, Bokuto feels the innate need to wrap Kei in a disgustingly tight hug. The kitten yowels and Kei squirms, but Bokuto only squeezes tighter, finding the strength in his beefy biceps to lift him.

“Fuck,” Kei groans, “put me down, you’re going to hurt Mittens.” A short yelp follows when the calico sticks her sharp claws through his T-shirt. He pushes Bokuto away and opens the zipper on his hoodie.

“Holy shit, is that a cat?” Bokuto all but yells. “A real, live cat?”

“Shut up!” Kei snaps, pulling said cat from his hoodie and cradling her in his arms. “We have to hurry up, she needs to eat soon.”

The words don’t seem to process through Bokuto’s thick skull as he bends down a bit to coo and scratch at the kitten’s ears. He wills her to bite Bokuto or at the very least, scratch him a bit, but she leans into his touch and Kei loses two minutes to Bokuto’s antics.

“Bokuto,” he hisses.

Bokuto straightens out his back. “Yeah I know, sorry.” He scratches the back of his head. “We’re only a couple blocks away from his apartment.”

Kei already knows this. He would’ve been fine without the escort. He would’ve been fine if he just stayed at home and minded his own business, but he dug this hole so he might as well lay in it. Turning on his heel, his cuddles the cat closer to his chest.

Bokuto follows close behind, somehow talking for the entire minute it takes to get to the end of the block, something or another about Akaashi and how he’s allergic to cats. Kei’s patience hangs on by its last threads.

“So what’s the cat for anyway?” Bokuto asks, bouncing on his toes as he walks.

Running a soothing hand down the cat’s back, Kei sighs and tries to fight the blush rising on his cheeks. “A gift,” he says simply, looking away from Bokuto to signal the end of the conversation.

But Bokuto carries on with his antics. “D’aaawe, Tsukki, that’s adorable!” he shouts. “You’re adorable!”

Kei grits his teeth, settling on silence to calm his thoughts. Bokuto’s idle chatter turns into white noise, melting into the city street like the snow falling from the sky. Kei’s day has been long, spending hours at the adoption center, and longer hours on a train. And though he’ll never admit it out loud, he just wants to be with Kuroo in his apartment.

The sun is well beyond the horizon when they get to the apartment and the kitten is shivering. Kei fumbles with his keys, shoving them into the front entrance. Bokuto starts to laugh at Kei’s urgency, following as he runs up the stairs to Kuroo’s apartment.

Finally, Kei bursts through the front door, winded from the struggle. There, in the kitchen, lit only by a single light, sipping on tea and wrapped in a blanket, sits Kuroo Tetsurou. A ridiculous burst of affection runs through him and he almost forgets the kitten in his arms in favor of wrapping himself around Kuroo.

Kuroo turns his head, smirking as usual until he see Kei and Bokuto, jaw dropping in surprise. Kei tilts his lips into a lopsided grin.

“Tsukki,” he says, breathless and nasaly from his cold. His hair is even more disheveled than normal. His body shakes from the chills, but that doesn’t stop him from nearly jumping up and down at the sight of the tiny furball in Kei’s arms.

Kei walks forward, no longer fighting the fond smile that engulfs his expression. “Merry Christmas,” he whispers, getting close to Kuroo’s face. Cold be damned, he wants to be close to his boyfriend.

Somewhere in the background, he hears Bokuto taking pictures on his phone, giggling like a giddy teenager. Kei cares not. He drops the kitten into Kuroo’s lap, almost crying when she automatically starts to rub against him with purring affection.

“Why did you…” Kuroo trails off, voice full of emotion.

“You said you were lonely,” Kei murmurs, “all by yourself in your apartment. So I got you a friend.”

“Tsukki,” he breathes. They lock gazes and Kei leans in, capturing Kuroo’s lips. His mouth tastes disgusting and everything is chapped and dry but Kei doesn’t mind. It’s perfect. He feels warmth in his chest.

Everything is perfect.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Have a wonderful holiday!

In the seat beside him, Iwaizumi rubs circles into Tooru’s knee. It does little to help the shooting pains that run up and down his leg, but he’s grateful anyway.

It’s not like he pays much attention to it anyone. The pangs are nothing compared to the pride welling in his chest as he watches Kindaichi slam down a winning spike onto Karasuno’s court. His hair is different now, longer and shabbier, tied back behind him instead of slicked straight up. He looks good, amazing even and it strikes Tooru just how much everything has changed since they left the team.

He chances a glance at Iwaizumi, green eyes aglow with that same pride and admiration Tooru feels in his chest. They smile at each other and all at once, Tooru is thrown back in time, two and a half years ago, grinning as Iwaizumi scores yet another point from one of his tosses. The tendons in his fingers ache with the ghost of a memory, the weight of the ball bouncing off of his delicate finger.

But Tooru is no longer sad. He isn’t devastated by the tear in his ACL or the loss of his future in volleyball. He grips Iwaizumi’s hand in his and squeezes gently, tenderly, as if he were handling the most precious thing on earth.

“We won,” Iwaizumi exclaims happily.

On any other day, Tooru would have taken the opportunity to berate Iwaizumi’s intellgence. We didn’t win, silly Iwa-chan sits on the tip of his tongue but he bites it back in favor of standing up and letting out a triumphant cheer.

It’s not even a real match, just a practice match set up by the soon to be graduated third years, a friendly rivalry that burns so brightly. The Karasuno players scowl, but even from the stands, Tooru can see the smile twitching at Kageyama lips. He shakes Kindaichi’s hand, but there’s no longer malice in their glares, only the gentle twinge of friendship and competition.

Tooru’s heart feels at peace.

It lasts for a good ten seconds and then the calm is interrupted by none other than Sugawara Koushi, standing in front of them, one hand on his hip, the other one intertwined with Sawamura Daichi’s.

“Long time, no see Tooru,” Suga says, despite having seen each other at their Sociology final three days prior. “You know, this doesn’t mean you guys won, right?”

Tooru folds his lips into his most condescending smile. “Oh I know, Kou-chan. We’ll just have to beat you guys again next time!”

Suga blows a tuft of hair from his forehead, fixing Tooru with a hard glare. The stare at each other for a moment, Tooru squinting and narrowing his gaze. They keep this up for awhile, but something in Suga’s expression tickles Tooru and they both burst into simultaneous peels of laughter.

Giggles slipping from his mouth, he untangles from Iwaizumi to embrace Suga. He feels warmth fill the pits of his stomach, soft like Iwaizumi’s touch of his knee.

Stray beams on light catch on Tooru’s eye, drawing his gaze to Suga’s chest. There, nestled in his sweater, lies a leather cord with a ring on it. Its golden glow commands the attention of the room and Tooru can’t help but gasp.

“Kou-chan, what’s this?” he asks, taking the ring in his hands and fiddling with it, a suggestive knit in his brow.

Suga blushes, pink rising high on his cheeks. He yanks the cord back and looks around nervously. “Shh,” he hushes. “No one knows yet!”

Tooru’s glance slides over to Sawamura who has taken to conversation with Iwaizumi. Sure enough, he has his own matching ring threaded around his neck.

Being the five-year-old he is, Tooru doesn’t contain the squeal that bursts from his lips. He engulfs Suga in a hug, despite the man incessant hushing.

“I haven’t told the kids yet,” he whispers.

Tooru almost laughs. “You mean you’re little Kohai down there?”

“Yes! Tooru, shut up!” Suga squeaks, breathless when he notices one of the first years looking up at their spectacle. “It just happened yesterday.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tooru watches Iwaizumi and Sawamura talking. The glow coming from Sawamura is uncanny, that of a man in love, and it strikes something in Tooru’s chest. He doesn't realise Suga’s been talking to him until he shifts his gaze back.

“... and then he just gets down on one knee and all the snow is falling and I just, I didn’t even let him finish and I kissed him and of course I said yes.”

Suga flits his pupils away. They shine with the light of unshed tears. He grips the cord and smiles with red high on his cheekbones. “I love him so much,” he gushes, taking Tooru’s hands in his own and squeezing.

Tooru is so warm, so happy for his friend. Suga’s smile is brighter, his voice is lighter. His radiance permeates the gym until it’s as if everything is painted gold.

“I’m so happy for you,” Tooru says and he means it.

“Thank you,” Suga bows, gratefully grinning. “I think me and Daichi have to go, but you stay out of trouble Tooru.” He throws Tooru a wink, glancing over to Iwaizumi.

He watches the pair go, a wash of happiness running through him. Iwaizumi comes back to his side and laces their fingers together. “Let’s go outside,” he murmurs into Tooru’s ear.

“But we have to visit Turnip-ku-“

“I have something to show you first.” His voice is firm, unmoving yet gentle. His fingers come to the small of Tooru’s back.

They walk in comfortable silence, out the doors until they’re standing in front of Aoba Josai High School, snow falling swift and soft against the nape of Tooru’s neck. He remembers the days spent under the cherry blossom trees, eating lunch and falling in love, though he wasn’t quite aware of it at the time. A stab of pain runs through his knee, the cold sending a chill down his spine, but Iwaizumi’s touch warms him.

“Tooru,” he starts, and it strikes Tooru. The given name sounds so gentle, so full of affection. “I’m not really good at this whole romance thing, I think we both know that.”

His mind conjures up the image of Iwaizumi, drenched with red roses droopping, standing on Tooru’s doorstep. That had been their first Valentine’s Day together. Tooru giggles at the memory and nods. “Yeah, I know.”

Iwaizumi chucked too, turning to face Tooru and grabbing his hands. “I was…” he avoids Tooru’s eyes, fingers shaking. “I was planning on doing this tomorrow, but seeing Sugawara and Sawamura…”

He shakes his head. “I don’t have a speech prepared. I was supposed to think of something tonight but if there’s one thing that you’ve taught me over the years, it’s to go for what you want, so…”

Iwaizumi shifts down until he’s on one knee. Tooru gasps, loud and clear through the wind. “Will you marry me?” he asks.

The world tilts on its axis. Tooru’s eyes fill with tears and pour over his cheeks leaning frozen tracks in their wake. He thinks of Iwaizumi, his warm green eyes, his dimpled cheeks, his rare, gorgeous smile. He thinks of Iwaizumi in the morning, all bedhead and hot breath but so good to Tooru, making his coffee and kissing his cheeks. He thinks of Iwaizumi pressing his lips against Tooru’s knee, carrying him to the emergency room, holding his hand at the doctor delivers the news. He realizes just how much he loves Iwaizumi and there’s no other clear answer.

“Yes,” Tooru whispers, watching in awe as Iwaizumi slides a silver band up his ring finger. He stands up and brings Tooru’s face close to his own.

“Now you’ll be Iwa-chan,” Iwaizumi laughs.

“Like I’d ever take on your last name.” Tooru leans in and connects their lips. They kiss slowly and idly in the snow, the whole world quiet and warm.

**Author's Note:**

> all reads, kudos, and/or comments are much appreciated! thank you for reading.


End file.
